English Chess Forum

I was baffled by g4, which weakened f4 in the first place.

I wondered if he were trying to play h4 and g5.

Of course it's quite possible that Giri is playing well below his usual level of concentration.

And Alekseenko wins.

Which leaves Caruana v Grischuk as the final act of this event, Fab still trying to squeeze something from not very much.

And it's drawn. Still alive at move 62 though, would we all have picked the right move for Black?

It took me a long time to find ...Kc8 when ...Rxf5 would have lost.

The pawn wasn't going away!

Wang Hao has retired due to health issues.

Sad news about Wang Hao's retirement.

How much help (compared to Karjakin) will Nepo get from "the Russians"?

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:21 pm

How much help (compared to Karjakin) will Nepo get from "the Russians"?

How much will he want?

I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:40 pm

I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.

Apparently a lot is due to stress levels.
I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.
Sadly two Latvians died at different chess tournaments back in 2000. I believe one was a Grandmaster.

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:56 pm

I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.

Not from stress, to the best of my recollection.

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:56 pm

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:40 pm

I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.

Apparently a lot is due to stress levels.
I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.
Sadly two Latvians died at different chess tournaments back in 2000. I believe one was a Grandmaster.

Of the 15 decisive games in the tournament, ten were in the last three rounds: Wang Hao 3, Alekseenko and Giri 2 apiece, and one each by Caruana, Grischuk and Nep'o. White won five and Black won five.

Exhaustion probably played a part but also different motivations: some players desperately needing wins. It was too late for safety-first play, except for Nepo.
Whereas Ding Liren finished with 3/3 and a majority of his games were decisive (8:6) which is pretty extraordinary for an event of this kind.

BTW the Latvian GM to whom you refer was Aivars Gipslis, whom I had met the previous year in Riga. He was one of the select band who earned the GM title both from FIDE and ICCF.

Tim Harding wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:52 pm

Of the 15 decisive games in the tournament

Typing error for 25?

What, no Candidates today? I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms already.

It was such a relief to watch some proper chess; not online skittles, with all its nonsensical talk about mouseslips and the like.